Search form

Tisbury Selectmen Take Firm Stance Against Two Fast Ferry Service Plans

Tisbury Selectmen Take Firm Stance Against Two Fast Ferry Service
Plans

BY JOSHUA SABATINI

Tisbury selectmen this week agreed the Steamship Authority should
postpone further action on fast ferry service until the concerns of the
town are satisfied and alternative possibilities are studied.

At their meeting Tuesday night, the selectmen spoke against the
outcome of a summit in New Bedford organized by that city's mayor,
Frederick M. Kalisz Jr. At the Oct. 27 meeting, Mr. Kalisz urged the SSA
to hold a special session to revisit the issue of fast ferry service
from New Bedford to the Island.

Even though the SSA board of governors voted 2-1 against a fast
ferry proposal four weeks ago, some officials from Martha's
Vineyard, New Bedford and Falmouth are pushing for a reconsideration of
the vote.

Selectman Tristan Israel said that Vineyard SSA governor J.B. Riggs
Parker, who was vocal in opposing his fellow board members' vote,
"has had a hard time dealing with the process."

"I think the vote of the board of governors should be
respected," Mr. Israel said. "That is the process, and it
should be abided by."

Selectman Raymond LaPorte agreed. He said the issue of fast ferry
service "should be tabled" for the time being.

The people involved in the issue are going to change, he said. The
Island's SSA representative will either be reappointed or replaced
in about a month's time, Mr. LaPointe said, and the SSA will hire
a new general manager within the next three months.

He also cited financial concerns. After the Sept. 11 tragedy, Mr.
LaPorte said, times are too uncertain to make sound financial decisions.

"We are in a recession, and travel habits are going to
change," he said. "The SSA is in a financial deficit as is.

"The town's highest priority is relief from traffic and
congestion in the town," he added.

To relieve traffic, Mr. LaPorte said, the SSA must upgrade the Oak
Bluffs terminal so it can handle freight boats. "Everything else
is secondary," he said.

While the selectmen oppose reconsidering fast ferry service at this
time, Mr. Israel said they are still concerned with New Bedford and
Falmouth's SSA-related problems and want to continue to work with
the towns.

But he was wary about New Bedford's hasty push for a re-vote.

Some people have a "fear of New Bedford," Mr. Israel
said. "I am not driven by fear. I am driven by the concerns of our
town. I am concerned about the pressure being put on people."

Mr. LaPorte emphasized the need for the SSA to develop a service
model for the future, not just for a fast ferry.

Selectman Tom Pachico agreed. Noting that proponents had suggested
the initial proposal for fast ferry service was uniquely advantageous,
he asked how not one but four purportedly better proposals were
developed only one week after the first was voted down.

Mr. Pachico said the board is working on a statement, due sometime
next week, in opposition to the fast ferry issue.

"We are not in favor of endorsing a fast ferry at this
time," Mr. Pachico said. "There is a need to explore other
alternatives and put them on the table. There is no reason why we have
to act on the fast ferry proposal this year."